TLAK

I think he sounded pretty frustrated, did you get that take too?

Ozzie, finally!

At least they went a full hour without talking about the grubs.

Hang in there until Ozzie comes on, you NEVER know what he will come out with!

Or the Divine Ms M (many pounds ago)

Oops. This is Andy Devine:

Devine couldn't remember how many 40+ HR hitters there were in 2004. The answer is 9. Player Adrian Beltre 48 Albert Pujols 46 Adam Dunn 46 Barry Bonds 45 Manny Ramirez 43 Jim Thome 42 Jim Edmonds 42 Paul Konerko 41 David Ortiz 41

It will be interesting to see how Will-sey acts when talking about the grubs. Last time they had DICKerson as host who pretended to be impartial but missed no opportunity to dis the Sox. Wills is an avowed grub hater, wonder if he will call Wrigley the 'Shrine' if they talk about the new signs, seats and concerts.

No, without a monster ST Joe doesn't make the roster. The only reason Joe got so many at bats last year was for the lack of any RH right field alternative. At a minimum, a healthy Carl Everett is an alternative this year and I don't expect them to break camp without some kind of fall back plan. If not a trade, maybe Sweeney or Anderson to play CF with ARow in RF against lefties. I think Joe's 'potential' tag has run it's course and don't think he gets back to the Major Leagues unless he earns it on the field. Even if he merits a roster spot, Ozzie will make him earn his at bats, just like ARow had to.

Free agent. He's listed with the relievers. I thought he did fine before his elbow started acting up. If healthy, he's a more proven option than any other 5th starter candidate on the roster.

Thats a bizarre idea beck, now lets put Saddam in the same jail as Noriega and Milosevic so he can benefit from their leadership!

My theory is the White Sox budget for a conservative attendance number and then ratchet it up or down during the season if revenue is different. There is a Northwestern U web page about Tim Buzard, their chief bean counter, which describes his claim to fame, the Sox zero based budgeting system. Apparently JR stipulates a base number and all the departments -Stadium, Parking, Baseball- build around it. They include contingencies for things going well and for things not going well. It is updated often in the course of a season. Think back to '02 when things were going poorly. Ray-Ray and Lofton were traded for prospects. When things were going well in '03 Alomar and Everett were brought in at some pretty good money. Last year was pretty flat after the injuries and not much happened (Everett didn't make near the money as in '03, plus it was before Frank went down, Freddy Garcia got the unspent money slotted for Bartolo Colon). So I think KW's line about good attendance letting him bring players in is the truth, it's how they run the team. Sox slogan should be: Come and they will build it.

Borchard will have to earn his way back to the Majors and once there will have to earn his playing time. Last year with Maggs down and Everett not being able to run there was no alternative for Ozzie to use from the right side. If Everett could have played OF I doubt Borch would have gotten nearly as many at bats. I like Joe Bo and wish him the best but he has a hard row to hoe now.

While I was there I made a spreadsheet of Forbe's estimate of each teams EBITDA over the past 3 years. I won't comment yet.

I was just looked up Ilich in Forbes, according to them: ---------------------------------- He's 75 years old. He bought the tigers in 1992. He was a minor league infielder in the Tigers organization in his youth. Net worth $750 million The Red Wings lost almost $17 million last year. The Tigers made $300,000 in 2003. He holds all his businesses in a single holding company. His son, Christopher, 39, assumed the CEO position this summer. Mike and his Wife, Marian are Chairman and Vice Chairman and remain active. Ilich's holdings exceeded $900 mil in 2003 revenue. He is an active philanthropist and has had a hand in many fine projects. ---------------------------------- I infer the Wings losses offset some profit from Caesars, the Tigers and other ventures, so in a way our tax dollars helped pay all then damn Ruskies. I didn't know he was so old. He's had the Tigers for 12 years now, never finishing above 3rd place in the Central. Is anyone close to the Tigers rumor mill? Is the team's recent agressiveness due to Christopher becoming more involved? What does it bode for the future?

Man-Soo was the MAN! This is his sox.com bio:

Before anyone gets too excited by the stats, be aware that Cliff Brumbaugh led the KBO this year hitting .343 with 33 HR and 105 RBI in 132 games played for the very same Hyundi Unicorns as Jung-Soo. I believe this is the Cliff Brumbaugh who hit .217 in 21 games with the Rangers and Rockies in 2001. He was later a minor leaguer for the Sox and was finally released by Charlotte in June 2003. Throw Jong-Soo's numbers out, this one is strictly for the scouts.

I think thats way too much money for this guy. He made $6 mil last year going 9-13 for a team that contended into the last week end of the season. That same team, who knows him better than anyone, is letting him walk. I know all about the lack of run support but, for example, he only had he had 18 quality starts. Compare to whipping boy Jon Garland's 16. (MB had 24!). Clements a nice pitcher but I don't think he commands that kind of money. Add in the questions about his health and I think it best to let Toronto have him at that price.

They got a cancer, a has been and a slacker. You can keep all three.

I think it is a great deal for the Angels. Rivera looked mighty good against the Sox and also when I saw him against the Marlins at the Cell. Plus they get a potential gold glove as SS, all for a guy they fired at the most critical point of the season. Talk about a hamburger for a steak!

Love the Pinheads reference! They paid him 1.75 mil.

Strange to hear from Bill James. Here is quote from Larry Mahnken back in April in an article where he was defending Yankee player's character as a main ingredient in their success. He is argueing against the Bill James of the period. "A lot of people don't like to account for luck when analyzing baseball, or any sport. Everything that happens must happen for a reason, and it's usually attributed to something intangible, like guts or clutchness (Bill James scoffed at this attitude in his New Historical Baseball Abstract: "We are supposed to believe that athletes are athletes not merely because they are fast, strong quick and well conditioned, but because there is something special inside them, this "character" that comes to the fore in the crucible of athletic competition. The are athletes, in other words, because they are better people than the rest of us.")." So, had Kevin Brown or Orlando Hernandez had good games and the Bosox went out 4-1 or 4-2 would James still be talking about courage, intensity and determination? Did the Cardinals get swept because they lack courage, intensity and determination? James if full of bull feathers. Players are weeded out from Rookie ball onward, only the strong make the Bigs. The playoffs come down to who's hot and who's not.

Those are mighty short women!

Garbage, it just started. The intro calls it Defalco and the Dick -- as in DICKerson. In defense of striker62704, the web site does say Talking Baseball in this time slot. Liars!

It's probably going to be Carl Everett.